Happy Women’s Day

by
marlies|dekkers

Happy Women’s Day! I am extra excited about this edition, because wow, what a year it’s been for feminism! This is the year that we went global; that we showed up with our money, our bodies, our time and our voices to show the world: this is OUR time! We were EVERYWHERE, we were unstoppable, and we had many faces. (In other words, we were in your face!). From Hollywood, where actresses in rebellious black took over the red carpet during the Golden Globes, to the Middle East where brave women waved their white hijabs on sticks like battle flags. And how about the millions of demonstrators worldwide, creating a sea of vibrant pink with their pussy hats? “I’m every woman”, was our motto of solidarity, and were making one thing very clear: we have only just started. This isn’t done yet!

For over 25 years now, I have lived and breathed feminine feminism. With each of my designs, I have shown that we no longer have to burn our bras to make a point, but that we can be equal to men, while celebrating our femininity. In whatever shape or form: whether you are into knitting or kickboxing, whether you are a lipstick-wearing CEO or a professor who dresses like a pin-up. I am thrilled that I have been able to help women all over the world to feel, think and radiate confidence. But I always want more! Like I said earlier: this isn’t done yet! That is why I started my FEMININE/FEMINIST magazine, made a movie, ‘The Awakening’, and created spectacular shows that celebrate women’s beauty, strength and power of seduction.

And now, I proudly present something that is, in a way, a culmination of my feminine feminist mission: a 3-year journal that will inspire women all over the world to unlock their potential. Only YOU have the power to create the reality you want, and with this journal I offer a beautiful and powerful way to structure your process of self-realization in the most important areas in your life. From your career to your family and friends, from health to sensuality; working with this booklet, you will be able tackle your targets the way a top performer would. In other words, you will be able to design your own future…

What better moment to launch this journal than on Women’s Day, when we celebrate what we have achieved, but also look forward to the future of feminism? The #metoo movement has unleashed a tsunami of suppressed frustration and created an army of voices. We are ready to speak up against everything that has been holding women back: from sexism, racism and ageism to the global gender gap (which, according to economists, will still take a whopping 200 years to close!). This is OUR time; the perfect moment for women worldwide to unlock their potential. Because the most important revolution takes place not in the streets, but in each woman’s heart. And it happens the moment she finally dares to love herself.

Dare to dream, dare to grow, dare to be!

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Marlies Says

Happy Women’s Day! I am extra excited about this edition, because wow, what a year it’s been for feminism! This is the year that we went global; that we showed up with our money, our bodies, our time and our voices to show the world: this is OUR time!

MD Friends

When I think of someone who is the embodiment of the highest level of expression, I have to think of German opera superstar Nadja Michael (47). This fearless feminine feminist is absolutely unforgettable in roles like Medea, Salomé and Lady Macbeth, performing phenomenally not just as a singer, but also a dancer and actress. How does she do it?

MD Friends

She started out as a contestant on the Norwegian version of ‘So You Think You Can Dance’; a few years later her debut single ‘Sunrise’ reached triple platinum status. But what makes Norwegian/Cuban star Alexandra Joner (27) such a feminine feminist icon is the fearless fun with which she expresses herself; in her singing and acting, but also in her fabulously sexy looks (often wearing marlies|dekkers, of course!). “I am fighting to make ‘sexy’ a positive thing!”

MD Friends

With her stunning staged photographs, Dutch artist Marie Cécile Thijs (1965) connects the past with the present in an intensely poetic, painterly way. Originally a lawyer, she decided more than fifteen years ago to follow her love for the camera. In just a short period of time, Marie Cécile became an internationally acclaimed artist whose works are included in the collections of museums like the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam and the Museum of Photographic Arts San Diego. She has also presented her art at TEFAF (widely regarded as the world’s pre-eminent fair of art and antiques), Art Miami and Photo Shanghai. For her signature series ‘White Collar’, Marie Cécile photographed the only surviving 17th-century pleated ruff in the world, then digitally added it to her models for an almost surreal, mesmerizing result.